A popular proverb says those who forget history are bound to repeat it. There is reason to believe Alberta may be about to experience this in the worst sort of way. We already had an NDP government that did much to damage the province’s economic potential and freedom. If the polls are accurate, that nightmare might return a few weeks from now..To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, there is much to learn from remembering Alberta’s NDP experience..In terms of the NDP government’s impact on Alberta society, the best short summary was written for the Calgary Herald by University of Calgary law professor Peter Bowal entitled, “Counting the spoons with the departing NDP.” Bowal discusses Rachel Notley’s concession speech on losing the 2019 election. He especially focuses on her claim that the NDP government “has fundamentally changed the politics of this province.”.It's true, of course, that Notley did fundamentally change the province, and Bowal describes that change: “She has made it more divisive, more nasty and far more personal. She has unleashed more intolerance than she claims to loathe in others. She preaches inclusion but is the first to exclude. She turbo-charges identity division. The NDP’s personal condemnation of social conservatives for their religious convictions is her fundamental change of Alberta politics.”.This aspect of Notley’s legacy is especially visible in her attack on private Christian schools. Her government was forcing Christian schools to delete basic Christian doctrinal statements from their anti-bullying policies. Another Calgary Herald columnist, Licia Corbella, explained that Notley’s government objected to statements such as this: “We believe men and women were created in the image of God, after His likeness, and therefore have transcendent, intrinsic worth.”.Do you see anything wrong with that? If you don’t, that means you’re not one of Notley’s far-left ideological fanatics..Back then, even the CBC noticed some people getting concerned about the NDP’s actions. In an article entitled “Rural Alberta leaders criticize NDP ministers, policies as attacking Christian faith,” Josh Knelson, the reeve of Mackenzie County, is described as confronting Education Minister David Eggen about the NDP’s threat to defund private Christian schools. Knelson said, “I feel that it’s an attack on Christianity and all faith-based believers. And to be quite frank, you scare me.”.Indeed, conservative Christians had every right to be scared during Notley’s reign..Similarly, Mackenzie County council member Ernie Peters confronted Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehan about comments Feehan had made attacking Jason Kenney's faith. He said to Feehan, “You mocked parts of the Old Testament, laughing about it for about four minutes. Is that your mandate for all faiths or just for Christianity in particular?”.Clearly, Notley’s government felt comfortable openly mocking and deriding conservative Christians in Alberta..This brings us back to Bowal’s column. He described the situation perfectly: “Albertans who disagree with Notley on social issues do not want a premier who persists in demonizing them, calling them dangerous extremists and bigots. She is not morally superior to them. Name-calling and public shaming will not change their views. Ever. She seized the bullhorn of public office to stoke fear and portray religious social conservatives as despicable, sub-human, knuckle-dragging monsters.”.During the 2019 election campaign, stalwart UCP MLA Mark Smith was vilified for comments he made years earlier about the biblical view of sexuality while speaking in a church — in a church, not in a political context. Notley, of course, demonized Smith as beyond the pale in typical progressive fashion..Apparently referring to this kind of situation Bowal noted, “However strenuously she anathematizes, belittles, slanders and maligns them, social conservatives in Alberta also have a right to run in elections, to speak and to hold their deeply held convictions, as Notley does. They can keep their jobs and be political candidates even if their religion is not compatible with hers.”.During her concession speech Notley said, “Today in Alberta, it doesn’t matter, and it should not matter, to whom you pray.” But as Bowal was quick to point out, “That is not what she believes. Only her God has the definitive voice on social issues. Albertans following other Gods or their own consciences are denigrated and scandalized.”.So here we are, just a few weeks from the 2023 election. Alberta could soon have another NDP government that will once again target religious minorities with a divisive campaign of derision and mockery..Rachel Notley does not want an inclusive Alberta as she claims. Instead of inclusion, her time in office demonstrated that she clearly wants to exclude some Albertans from public life. The climate of social division Notley created while in government needs to be kept in mind by voters as they cast their ballots.
